Rangers CEO Flies To Johannesburg To Coax Former Director King Into Returning To Club

Scottish League 1 Rangers CEO Craig Mather was in South Africa Monday to "hold talks with Dave King in a bid to persuade the former Ibrox director to return to the Rangers board," according to David McCarthy of the Scotland DAILY RECORD. Mather flew to Johannesburg "for a meeting with King," who lost a previous investment of £20M ($32M) in the club when it entered administration in Feb. '12. Mather "hopes to convince King, who has made no secret of his desire to return to Ibrox but only if he can wield influence from the boardroom, that he can be a major player as the club tries to recover from a period of in-fighting that has ripped its credibility to shreds." King -- "a lifelong Rangers supporter -- needs to be convinced by Mather that if he invests in the club, he will be allowed a hands-on role" (DAILY RECORD, 10/8). THE SCOTSMAN reported the deal comes as the club heads toward an AGM on Oct. 24 that "may give rise to more boardroom unrest." A legal bid led by former Dir Paul Murray and former Chair Malcolm Murray to "position themselves on the board at the expense" of Mather, Finance Dir Brian Stockbridge, and non-execs Ian Hart, Bryan Smart and James Easdale "is still ongoing." A court hearing scheduled for Monday will "determine whether the motion will be added as an order of business" at the club’s forthcoming AGM (SCOTSMAN, 10/8).